No doubt — John Irving wrote it better.
In A Prayer for Owen Meany, a woman gets hit by a baseball, dies, and her son and the boy who hit the killer ball remain best friends throughout their lives.
When it happens in real life, folks are a bit more litigious.
A New Jersey woman who was struck in the face by a baseball is suing the 11-year old catcher who hit her for medical costs and negligence. Her husband is filing a separate suit for the loss of “services, society and consortium” of his wife.
The total damages? Close to $500,000.
The catcher’s family, who says they can’t afford the jury trial the woman has demanded, thinks Little League Baseball should help defray court costs since the accident took place during a sanctioned warm-up.
I think they should call Irving. Maybe he can do a rewrite and give this story some heart.
Whatever happened to the concept of “accident”? How much control is an 11-year-old boy expected to have?
I know. That NJ couple are evil.